NightClub Fisheye Photography

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BaneKullas

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Hey.
I have just recently got a job working in a nightclub near my University. The owner wants me to do photos for each night, so what advice could people give me, as I haven't done this before.

Plus, he wants a fisheye effect on the photos, how can I do this without spending £200 (which I don't have!) on a new lens. Is there a filter I can use?

Canon 550d btw.
 
BaneKullas said:
Hey.
I have just recently got a job working in a nightclub near my University. The owner wants me to do photos for each night, so what advice could people give me, as I haven't done this before.

Plus, he wants a fisheye effect on the photos, how can I do this without spending £200 (which I don't have!) on a new lens. Is there a filter I can use?

Canon 550d btw.
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I'm sorry you cannot really get fish eye effect with a filter, you need a fish eye lens to get the effect ;)

Now do you have a flash gun for your camera as realistically if you expect to do the job to a professional standard you'll need one of them :thumbs: your pop up flash just will not really cut it...

If you've not done it before you need to get practising..as soon as you can..nightlife photography is easy enough...but to do it really well is hard and takes practice and experience.

> Do you want light trails from the disco lights (shutter dragging)
> Do you want to freeze all action

What is your client expecting of you? Other that fish eye effect

> Turn around time, interest dies off really fast with night life photos they need to be on social media ideally before the revellers have sobered up
> Watermarking, does the client want photos processed with there logo etc on the photo, can you do this
> Number of photos expected
> Other Revenue (Key Rings etc)

Just a few things to think about...it's a good opportunity for you from the sounds of it but please go into with your eyes wide open there is a lot more work in it than just pointing the camera and firing away
 
If he wants fish, then that's what you need. Either get him to buy you one, or live without it for the first couple of weeks until you can buy one out your earnings.
 
Tbh if they are only night club shots and don't need to be perfect at 100% crop then you can get screw in fish eye effect lens things that screw into the end of your kit lens (they are usually 58mm diameter)

I haven't used these myself as I don't do this kind of photography, but a friend I know that shoots for a club uses it and the images seem to go down well on their Facebook. Don't rate them massively myself, but they work for him. He uses a 550D to, so it's not like he's doing the images for large print use.

I would never recommend using them personally, as with any cheap glass, the IQ deteriorates. But for 400px x 600px images on Facebook you will probably get away with the quality loss caused by said filter.
 
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This is great advice. I have done other events, but nightlife is new for me. I don't have the money to get a lens, but if I get enough work, then I would buy one when I can, as that's obviously better, I just need something to tide me over until then.

I'd like to get photos that frames the subject, but gets in the light trails too. I want to do the best I can obviously, so what could you recommend settings wise for this?

@ACW, could you link me to his photos, it would be great to see his photos and see if they are the same as the client wants.

Like I said, I would rather a lens, but I'm a student, and am barely getting by as it is, I'm just trying to kick start my career. :)
 
If you search google for nightclub photography, my how to guide on my blog is normally one of the first results.
 
My concern about the fisheye thing is that once you've done a few funky shots of the club, maybe a few group shots, people may dislike how they appear shot through a fisheye lens, they're not particularly flattering :lol:

In your situation I certainly wouldn't be rushing out to spend my hard earned cash on one. Perhaps hire one for a weekend?
 
Buy a cheap fisheye converter that screws on the front of your lens, the quality isn't fantastic but it'll do for what your after.
One thought, if your taking pics of people it's seriously unflattering. I'm not sure how many people would buy a pic that makes them look fat.
 
Russ77 said:
My concern about the fisheye thing is that once you've done a few funky shots of the club, maybe a few group shots, people may dislike how they appear shot through a fisheye lens, they're not particularly flattering :lol:

In your situation I certainly wouldn't be rushing out to spend my hard earned cash on one. Perhaps hire one for a weekend?
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Yep, very good point. I'd imagine after one night of fisheye photos goes up on Facebook, the ladies will be running from the camera.
 
To be honest, I don't like fisheye lenses, I find their use very distasteful, but as far as I'm concerned, if the guy who will be paying me wants them, then I'll have to do it. It's not my call, if it was, I would be using a standard lens, and concentrate just on getting nice ambient shots.

So I dislike it but I have to do it to make the money. I'm only trying to start off, so I can't really turn round and refuse.
I looked at your guide Dave, its really good, and useful for me, I bookmarked it to keep looking over, thanks :)
 
BaneKullas said:
To be honest, I don't like fisheye lenses, I find their use very distasteful, but as far as I'm concerned, if the guy who will be paying me wants them, then I'll have to do it. It's not my call, if it was, I would be using a standard lens, and concentrate just on getting nice ambient shots.

So I dislike it but I have to do it to make the money. I'm only trying to start off, so I can't really turn round and refuse.
I looked at your guide Dave, its really good, and useful for me, I bookmarked it to keep looking over, thanks :)
Click to expand...

That's fair enough and "the customer is always right", however I reckon the customer will soon change his/her mind when they realise it's a bit of a gimmick, then you're out of pocket with a lens that isn't going to get used a great deal.

Think about hiring one or get a fisheye filter for your current lens, tbh where nightclub photography is concerned the filter probably isn't too bad.
 
I shoot club nights but don't own a fisheye. I think the best use of a fisheye would be for crowd shots, probably not best for posed shots like everyone has said.
 
Whilst I suppose it's not a "proper" fisheye lens, perhaps a 10-22 would be a good shout?

You could get nice wide, funky shots of the crowd and use the longer end when shooting people?
 
I actually hope the guy changes his mind, it would make my life so much easier, and cheaper.

I was looking at the mm of the lenses, and I can actually borrow a 10-16mm wide angle lens, and the fisheye is 8-10mm, so I could use the wide angle to act as a fisheye at certain times. But then, that wide angle wouldn't be good for shooting people as it would make them look fat. So i'd end up having to carry the two lenses to interchange in a nightclub :/
 
It will also depend on what sort of style you want to achieve. If you want the typical posed/rigid/boring club shots then a fisheye won't be much use, as you rightly say you will want to use something much more flattering.
But if you are more interested in catching the energy and atmosphere of the night, which is what will promote the night more than repetitive group shots, then it can be put to good use.

I don't work in clubs any more, when I did I used the fish sparingly. But to see what can be done I would take a look at Marc de Groom's work. He uses a fisheye almost exclusively, for his club work at least, and has turned that into his own distinctive style and does very well out of it.

http://www.marcdegroot.co.uk/nightlife-clubbing/
 
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